Many adults with congenital heart disease do not get the ongoing care and monitoring they need. Choosing the right doctor and ACHD program to manage your adult congenital heart disease is crucial.

Anyone who has a CHD should be seen in a specialized ACHD clinic at least once. The more complex your CHD is, the more crucial it is that you get your care from an ACHD healthcare team. Depending on where you live, that may mean traveling some distance for the best care.

ACHA is actively working to improve the quality and access to care available for adult congenital heart disease patients, and to develop the highest standards to determine which doctors and facilities offer quality care. This effort includes our national program to accredit adult congenital heart centers.

The ACHD Clinic Directory offers comparative information on all self-identified ACHD clinics in the United States and Canada that currently participate in the annual ACHA/ISACHD ACHD Clinic Survey Project. All data in the ACHD Clinic Directory is self-reported and has not been independently verified.

Before you use this guide

NOTE: The Adult Congenital Heart Association does not endorse or recommend any specific clinic. All data in this guide is self-reported and has not been independently verified. Clinics in the directory vary widely in size, training and services. The current data is based on the 2014 survey responses submitted to the Adult Congenital Heart Association. If a clinic did not respond to the 2014 survey, the data will be identified as the year they last responded. Participation in the survey is open to all interested clinics.

The Adult Congenital Heart Association endorses the findings of the American Cardiology Association/American Heart Association 2008 Guidelines on the management of adults with congenital heart disease and the recommendations of the 32nd Bethesda Conference.

According to the Guidelines:

If you were told you had a congenital heart defect as a child, you should have your heart checked at least once at a specialized adult congenital heart disease center.

If you were born with a more complex CHD, you should visit an ACHD center at least every two years for evaluation and follow up—even if you had surgery on your heart.